Electric monorail engine



June 2.9 1926.

T. H. WRIGHT ELECTRIC MONORAIL ENGINE Filed Sept. l5, 1922 Afro/PNB@ yPatented .lune 29, 1923.

THOMAS H. VRIGI-IT, F LGSv ANGELYES,CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC MONORAIL ENGINE.

Application filed September My invention relates to mono-rail cars orvehicles, and morel particularly to driv ing means therefor, a purposeof my invention being the provision of a driving means including anelectric motor adapted for direct association with a transmissionmechanism and adapted to be supplied with current from a third rail ortrolley wire associated with the mono-rail track over which the car isadapted to move.

Although I will describe only one form of driving mechanism, and willpoint out the novel features thereof in claim, it is to be understoodthat various changes and modifications may be made without depart ingfrom the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation and partly in section oneform of mono-rail vehicle having applied thereto one form of reversingmechanism embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the reverseing mechanism shown in Figure1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, my invention, in its presentembodiment, is shown as applied to a monorail car or locomotiveincluding a chassis C and a transmission casing K with a lever L adaptedfor the actuation of the transmission in obtaining the various speeds.'Ihe chassis C- is provided at its forward and rear ends with bearingsin which are journaled shafts 11 carrying groovedy wheels 12 adapted tomove over a mono-rail i13 supported upon a base 141-. Both of the shaftsare adapted to be driven from an electric motor designated at M, andwhich is shown as sustained upon the chassis C by means of brackets 15.Current is supplied to the motor M in any suitable manner. In, thepresent instance, I have shown a trolley pole 16 provided with a wheel17 adapted for engagement with a trolley wire and. electricallyconnected to the motor by conductors 18. The shaft of the motor M isdirectly connected to the main shaft is of the transmission mechanism K.

For transmitting the motion of the trans- Vmission mechanism K to thewheels 12 of 15, 1922. seriain. 588,431.

the ylocomotive so as to drive the wheels, and consequently thelocomotive, in either direction upon a meno-rail 13, a reversingmechanism housed in a casing 19 is provided. This reversing mechanism asshown in Figure 2 is of the same construction as the reversing mechanismembodied in my copending application Serial No. 588,429, filed September15, 1922, and comprises shaft-s 2O and 21, with the shaftv 20 opervatively connected at one end to one of the shafts of the transmissionmechanism con.- tained in the casing II.' Gears 22 and 23 are keyed tothe shaft 20, and the gear 23 meshes with a gear V211 fixed to a stubshaft 25. The gear 22 is adapted to mesh with the gear 26 slidable onthe shaft 21 and rotatable therewith through the mediumiof a rib orprojection 27. The gear 26 is manually movable to engage either of thegears 22 or 241V by means of a collar 28 engaged by va yoke 29 formed onone end of an arm 30. The arm 30 is slidable within the casing 19 and ispivotaliy connected to the lower end of a lever Il. The shaft 21 isprovided with an annular shoulder 32 for limiting the inward movement ofthe gear 26, and this shouldered end of the shaft is connected to acounter shaft 33.l The opposite end of the shaft 21 is adapted forconnection to a shaft 34, and the shafts 33 and 3l are operativelyconnected to worms 35 and 36, respectively. Universal joints 37 areprovided between the several shafts 33 and` 34.-, and the worms' 35 and36. The worms 35 and 36 mesh with worm gears 38 fixed to the shafts 11and disposed within casings 39. In practice, current supplied to themotor M from the trolley wire energizes the motor to operate thetransmission shaft 7c, and rom the transmission mechanism power isconveyed to the reversing mechanism within the casing 19. rlhrough themedium of the reversing mechanism, and the shafts 33 and 34, as well asthe worms and worm gears, the locomotives can be driven at variousspeeds and in either direction upon the mono-rail 13. It will beunderstood that by manipulation of the lever L the reversing mechanismcan be set to drive the locemotive forwardly or rearwardly.

I claim as my invention: In a mono-rail locomotive, an electric motor, aspeed change transmission driven Wheels of the locomotive, and a gearshiftably keyed to said driving shaft and adapted to engage the other ofsaid pinions or said reverse gear.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to Jhis specification.

THOMASy H. WRIGHT.

